Field of Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for a beverage cooler to keep beverage containers such as cans, bottles and cups chilled while allowing a user to drink from the beverage container without spilling a coolant such as ice or water used to provide the cooling.
Prior Art
Most consumers prefer to consume drinks such as soda and beer while they are cold. Canned or bottled drinks which have been chilled in ice chests or refrigerators begin to warm as soon as they are removed from the chilled environment. On summer days in particular, drinks warm up very quickly in the hot sun.
Products have been designed to slow the heating up process. Many consumers insulate their can or bottle with a wrap such as neoprene or foam. Millions of these have been sold, proving consumers have a desire to keep their drinks cold. However, this wrap simply insulates—it provides no refrigeration or cooling of the beverage.
One product which attempts to refrigerate the beverage is a double walled mug which has a refrigerant between the walls. This refrigerant can be frozen or chilled in a freezer prior to use. When the mug is removed from the freezer, drinks may be poured into the mug to help them stay cold. To use this mug, the consumer must plan ahead to freeze the mug for a period of time before using. This mug also eventually needs to be re-frozen before re-use by returning it to a chilled environment, the best being an electrical freezer. This takes planning and time between uses. This product is therefore not very practical for several reasons for people outdoors drinking beverages or multiple beverages from cans or bottles which are taken from an ice chest.
One device has been designed to emulate ice chests to keep drinks cold while they are consumed. This device features a housing into which ice water can be introduced and then a can or bottle can be inserted. A seal subassembly is slid over the can or bottle and then attached to the housing sealing the annular space between the housing and can or bottle so that the consumer may tip the housing and drink from the can or bottle without the ice water spilling out. After finishing the beverage, the user must release the subassembly from the housing, remove the can or bottle and then slide the seal containment means off the can or bottle in order to use again.